Lily And Harry Potter The Prologue: Book One
by funnymango
Summary: This is the first book of Lily and James Potter's year. It is intended to be close to Hogwarts canon world. It is switching from Lily and James point of view. Lily and James go to Hogwarts, make new friends, learn magic, and discover the wizarding world.
1. Chapter 1

**James and Lily Potter Prologue: Book One- The Secret of the Moon**

**Disclaimer: The Characters, world, and parts of the plot of the story are not mine and belong to JK Rowling. **

_**Notes**__: This chapter is a little silly, I didn't have much ideas but I promise you it gets better! Do not be afraid to review! Also, I have written a lot of stories but this is my first time using the fanfiction website so inform me if there are any problems._

**Chapter 1: Lily**

Lily crept quietly into Petunia's room. Her sister was still asleep. Lily intended to surprise her in the loudest way possible. Carefully, not daring to make a noise she approached. Suddenly, she tapped Petunia on the back. Petunia swirled around suddenly. "Lily!" she yelled.

"It wasn't me, it wasn't me!" Lily giggled.

Petunia looked at her suspiciously, "Well, I'm trying to sleep here and-"

"Oh, come on Tuney, it was just a joke," sighed Lily, rolling her eyes. Her sister could be so serious sometimes.

"Petunia, Lily, come for breakfast!" called Lily's mother.

"Yes, mum," replied Lily, hurrying down. Lily's mother was medium-height and had long brown hair and green eyes. She had always been there for her children when they needed support, but was also strict. Lily quietly gulped down her cereal. As soon as she was done, she grabbed her book and started reading. Lily loved books, especially fantasy novels about her favorite adventures such as Evil Raccoons and the Deathly Hallows.

"Lily, why don't you and Petunia go play outside?" suggested her dad. "You can read later."

"Sure dad." Lily's dad was short and bald and wore glasses. He was thoughtful and often absentminded, but never failed to make a joke.

Lily and Petunia boredly kicked the ball back and forth in their front yard. A breeze rolled by them. She heard someone breathe…were they being watched? A few minutes passed with Lily and Petunia chatting. Out of curiosity Lily picked up a fallen flower off the ground. She held it up to Petunia.

"Look at this Tuney!" The flower petals opened and closed in her hands.

"How is it doing that?" Petunia asked in awe. Then suddenly out of frustration she said "Stop it!"

Lily stopped controlling the flower. To tell the truth, she didn't know how she was doing it. But she always had known there was something different about her. She had special abilities. She could make all plants move, not just flowers. She could make small objects shake, and even break when she was angry. She could make her hair grow back after haircuts. Lily vaguely remembered her 7th birthday…she was blowing out candles on her cake when just by staring at it the whole cake erupted into fire.

"I know how you're doing that," said a voice behind them. Lily turned around. It was that Snape kid from across the street, she thought with distaste. He was always snooping around sticking his long nose into other peoples' business and he always seemed to be alone. But she knew that he too, seemed different.

Snape continued. "You're a witch!"

"That's not a very nice thing to say!" shouted Petunia. But Lily wasn't angry.

"I wouldn't expect you to know," drawled Snape indignantly. "You're only a Muggle." A Muggle? thought Lily. What was a muggle? It was an insult, thought Lily, angrily.

"Hmmph" said Petunia and she stormed away.

The boy extended his hand out to Lily. She took it cautiously. "I'm Severus," he said proudly.

"I'm Lily." A voice called in the distance and Severus looked around warily. His eyes widened and he let go of Lily's hand."Sorry, got to go," he shouted and dashed away. "Well, see you later."

The next day Lily saw Severus walking down the street alone. He was dressed in rags and a cloak and looked ridiculous, but she did not allow herself to laugh. "Hey Severus!" she called. "Oh…hi Lily," he replied nervously.

"What was that you said yesterday…about me being a-a-  
"A witch?" asked Severus. "I saw you moving the flower. I also saw you doing other magical things. It's people like us that have special abilities. We call them wizards and witches."

"You were spying on me?!" cried Lily, her face reddening.

"No-no-" said Severus. "I was-" Lily decided to leave it. She concentrated on what Severus had said. She was a witch? She knew she was different-maybe even special, but a witch? It seemed so far-fetched…yet she hoped it was true.

"Can you do it too?" she interrupted. "The magic?"

"Yeah," grinned Severus cockily. He picked up a leaf on the ground and dropped it. It stayed frozen in the air. He smiled at Lily.

"Listen, Lily," he asked. "Have you got your Hogwarts form yet?"

"My what?" said Lily. Severus narrowed his eyes.

"So your parents are muggles," he muttered almost to himself. It seemed as if he was disappointed, thought Lily.

"A muggle?" asked Lily curiously. "And what's Hogwarts?"

"A muggle is a non-magical person. And Hogwarts is the school for wizards and witches, like me and you. You just wait till you see it." Lily smiled. A school of magic? A new world was opening right in front of her eyes. She almost allowed herself to sink into fantasy for a second- but she was interrupted by her sister.

"Oh there you are Lily!" exclaimed Petunia. Then she looked at the boy next to her. She froze. "YOU!" She pointed threateningly at Snape. He backed away silently.

"No one wants you here, muggle," he muttered threateningly.

Petunia reddened with anger. "What's that you're wearing anyway," she mocked. "Your grandmother's blouse?"

"Tuney, no!" shouted Lily. Snape made a sudden move with his hand. The tree branch cracked and fell on Petunia's shoulder. She shrieked and burst into tears.

"You did that!" Lily rounded on Severus. "You hurt her!"

Severus looked desperate. "No I didn't- mean to-" But Lily was in no mood for excuses.

"Go!" she screamed. Severus walked away dejectedly. Petunia hysterically looked at him go. "Freak!" she spat. "Freaks!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: The characters and world of this story that I am taking do not belong to me. They belong to JK Rowling.**

Chapter 2: Lily

Lily did not talk to Severus for the rest of the week. She did not talk to Petunia either, spending most of her time alone. She was waiting desperately for the letter from Hogwarts. Every day Lily checked her mailbox with hopes high that it would come. Every day she was disappointed. The more time it took, the less likely it seemed it would ever come. Maybe Hogwarts was just a hopeless fantasy, she thought. It was better to live in the real world.

On Monday again, she checked the mailbox. It was empty. Frustrated, Lily slammed it aside. Just then, she heard a loud crashing noise. It was coming from the upstairs window. She hurried up to her room. There sitting on the window perch, was a huge brown owl. It was holding something in its claws. It was a letter.

Lily cautiously approached the owl, not wanting to frighten it. The owl suddenly gave a loud hoot and flapped it's wings loudly. Lily pulled the letter out of the owl's grip, and it flapped its wings and flew out through the window. She quickly tore the envelope open, to reveal a form scribbled in tiny slanted handwriting. It was a letter from Hogwarts.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizar_ds)_

Dear Lily Evans,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Lily could hardly believe her eyes. She flipped the letter over, revealing a set of school supplies.

"Lily, what's all that noise!" shouted her mother.

"Nothing, Mum" she lied quickly. But she could already hear her mom's footsteps reaching her bedroom door. Lily paused for a second and then smiling, she handed the letter to her mother. Lily's mother read the letter in an instant. She narrowed her eyes, and she read it again slowly. She looked at Lily, apparently at a loss of words. Then she said

"Very well, Lily, you may go."

"What?" mumbled Lily.

"I give you permission to attend," said her mom cheerfully. That simply? thought Lily. She had expected her to say no, or at least frown. Was she playing a joke?

"But aren't you at least- a bit- shocked?" questioned Lily.

Lily's mom sighed and assumed a patient tone. "We- your dad and I- had always known you were not normal. You had special abilities- you could do magic. You see, Dumbledore, the school's headmaster, sent us a letter five years ago warning us that you were a witch. We had always suspected something unique about you, but not until his letter did we know the truth. We tried to keep it from you and Petunia. We had promised to bring you up like everyone else. But now you've got it! You're off to Hogwarts!" Tears welled up in her eyes from happiness before she spoke again. "Lily, Hogwarts is a boarding school. You will only be seeing us during the holidays."

This came as a huge blow to Lily. She had never thought about leaving her parents when she dreamed about Hogwarts. "I'll miss you guys," she said. Her mom smiled sadly.

Lily could not help but feel sorry for Petunia. It must feel pretty bad knowing your sister could do things you could not do. Last night, on Petunia's desk she had found a letter that Petunia was writing to Dumbledore, begging him to let her see Hogwarts. She had also seen Dumbledore's reply to Petunia, telling her that she could see but unfortunately not attend.

Petunia was in a foul mood all day. Lily tried talking to her.

"Tuney, I saw Dumbledore's reply to your letter. It was very kind."

Petunia erupted. "How DARE you read my letter, Lily! That's none of your business!" She paused. "I don't want to go to that…freak school!"

"I'm not a freak!" Lily cried hotly.

But Petunia paid no heed to her. "It's better that people like you be seperated from us…_normal_ people for your own good!"

Lily was shocked by Petunia's harshness towards her. She had never seen her like this before. But she shook it off, looking forward to the following week! She would be in Hogwarts by then!

Lily and her parents arrived in the Leaky Cauldron in the afternoon to shop for her Hogwarts supplies. Petunia had decided not to come- she had said she was feeling ill, but of course Lily knew better.

The Leaky Cauldron was a pub for wizards. It was dark and dusty and smelled of old mice. Flocked along the wooden tables were wizards dressed in ridiculous outfits in what was clearly trying to look like muggles. One man sported overalls, a rain jacket, and a bonnet. Lily had to surpress the urge to laugh. They were all talking to each other in low tones, and she and her parents felt quite awkward. Finally a wizened man with a mustache came up directly to her and shook her hand warmly.

"You a first year?" he asked. Lily nodded nervously.

"Diagon Alley is over there through that door. It's where you'll get your supplies." Lily frowned. There was no door, but only a brick wall. But the man jabbed a brick in the wall, which morphed into an archway.

"Eh! Wait!" called the man after them. "Wizards and witches only!"

"But we're her parents!" protested Lily's dad. "I'll be fine," said Lily. And she was off.

Diagon Alley was a wonderful place. It was absolutely bustling with wizards and witches of all sorts. They filled every lane and alleyway and crowded around the shops. She had a hard time pushing through the crowd. She noticed some children of her age. There were a large assortment of shops- "Madame Malkins Finest Robes", "Flourish and Blotts Bookstore" where the books seemed to be fluttering about, "Magical Menagerie: For all your magical needs" "Ollivander's- Wandmaking since 1867" "Eeylops Owl Emporium" "Slug's Apothecary" "Potage's Cauldron Shop" and a whole lot more shops. There were also people selling strange goods on stands… "Salamander Eyes! Only Five Knuts!" called one witch to her right. "Looking for a Sneakoscope, miss?" asked a wizard next to her. "Er- no thanks" she sputtered and walked down the street past a group of men who were trying to bewitch their cauldrons to walk. She suddenly bumped into someone huge and fell down. Rubbing her knee, she looked up. "Sorry-"

"S'okay." The man was tall and wore a triangular hat. He had a friendly smile on his face and seemed to speak in an Irish accent.

"Wot you doing 'ere? Hogwarts, are you?" he asked kindly.

"First year," replied Lily. "I'm Lily Evans."

"Ooh, Lily Evans, hmm. I go by Ogg. Come on, I'll show you around."

"First let's go get you your books, eh?" he said, heading towards Flourish and Blotts.

"But I haven't got any money!" exclaimed Lily, feeling quite foolish.

"Not to worry," smiled Ogg. He took out a pouch and handed Lily a dozen or so golden coins, as well as a few smaller silver and bronze ones. "These are galleons," he explained. "And the teeny ones are sickles an' knuts. Wizard currency."

"Mr. Ogg I can't take this."

"You'll need it, won't you?" said Ogg winking.

He first took her to the bookstore, where she bought "A History of Magic", "A Basic Guide to Magical Creatures", "The Defensive Spell Theory", and "One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi". She couldn't wait to read them, and Ogg almost had to pull her out of the bookstore. Next she bought her cauldrons, her potion ingredients, and her robes. Now it was time to get her wand.

They entered Ollivander's shop. It was a small dusty place stacked from top to bottom with wands. A skinny old man sat in the room. He gave her a cold smile when she entered.

"Hello. First-year, are you? What's your name?" he asked pleasantly.

"Lily Evans."

"Yes, I thought so," he replied. "Your wand arm please."

"What?"

He motioned for her to hold out her right arm, and she did. Ollivander measured it, and then dug in the pile of boxes for a wand.

"Magnolia and Unicorn Hair," he said, handing her a wand. "( and a half inches. Springy. Wave it around."

Lily waved the wand, but only a few sparks had flown out before Ollivander snatched it and gave her a next one. She tried wand after wand and Ollivander never seemed pleased until finally-

"Willow and dragon heartstring. Swishy. Good for charms. 8 and a half inches."

Lily took the wand and waved it around, emitting several exploding ribbons. Ollivander clapped with delight.

"This wand is yours."

Ogg helped her pay for the money, and they exited the shop.

**Edited it. Do not be afraid to point out any mistakes. I always forget Lily's last name for some reason haha.**

**Next Chapter has James. I will update now.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: James/Lily**

**This chapter is kind of long. I'm sorry it's so close to the original Harry Potter books, but do not worry- it will stray more from the story later on. And also, please tell me about character discrepancies, such as characters that are older/younger so they shouldn't be in the same generation. Enjoy!**

James Potter strolled into Diagon Alley confidently with his dad. "Why don't you wait right here while I go get some textbooks?" asked Mr. Potter.

"I'll be fine, Dad," he said, rolling his eyes. But of course James did not intend to stay put. He hated following rules, and thought it better to get into some mischief. As soon as his dad left inside the shop, he sneaked around the corner into the store "Quality Quidditch Supplies". Quidditch was a magical sport played on flying broomsticks and it was James' favorite. He had known how to fly on a broomstick ever since he was four and he was quite good at it.

There was a large crowd of eager students surrounding a large glass case. In it was a broomstick of the finest quality Comet 360. It's polished handle gleamed in the sunlight. "Whoa" he mouthed softly.

"I wish I had that broom" said the boy next to him longingly. He had. He had a dark, proud, looking face, and long black hair.

"Are you going to Hogwarts this year?" James asked him.

"Yeah," replied the boy. "I hear we're going to be learning how to fly."

"I already know how to fly," boasted James. "I'm going to be the best Quidditch player there. A seeker. Just like my dad."

The boy nodded. "_My_ family's awful. I gave them the slip so I could come here." James smiled in his head. He liked this boy. He seemed like a troublemaker, just like himself.

"Anyway, what's your name?" James asked. "I'm James Potter."

"I'm Sirius. Sirius Black."

James and Sirius were getting along quite well. The two chatted eagerly about Quidditch and their families as they walked through Diagon Alley. "I've already gotten all my supplies," said James, boredly.

"Well," suggested Sirius. "You could get a pet. I have a rat named Korkus. He's pathetic though."

James brightened up. "I'd fancy an owl, myself. Come on." The Owl Emporium was still open. Owls were perched in various cages, hopping around. James particularily took a liking to a small, vicious brown female owl who was pecking at the cage furiously. The owlkeeper said "everyone was afraid to buy him" but James shrugged. He was sure he could handle this owl. He decided to name her Beetle after the famous storyteller.

"Excuse me, sir, do you know where Platform 9 ¾ is?" Lily asked the policeman. He looked at her like she was crazy and shook his head muttering "kids these days…". Lily looked again suspiciously. There was platform 9…and then Platform 10. She wandered between them, where there was a stone wall, pushing her cart around.

"Lost, dear?" said a voice. She whirled around to see a plump looking witch with silvery hair and a worried expression looking at her. She had three children, one of whom was about Lily's age.

"Er..yes," Lily replied. "I'm looking for Platform 9 ¾."

"My daughter Alice is new to Hogwarts too," she said calmly. The girl of Lily's age waved up at her shyly. "All you have to do is walk through that wall over there."

"Walk through what?" asked Lily shocked. But in her confusion Alice had already walked straight through the wall and disappeared.

"See? It's as easy as that!" said the mother cheerfully. "Go on!"

Lily pushed her cart towards the wall….faster…faster….and before she knew it she was through.

Lily climbed onto the train along with hundreds of other kids her age. She found an empty compartment at the front and sat down. She was desperate for company, someone to talk to.

"Hi Lily!" It was Severus. She decided to forgive him for his past crimes.

"Hey Severus" she said. Severus sat down eagerly.

"Have you gotten your wand yet?" he asked. Lily nodded. "I got mine. It's a really good wand. See?" He pulled a dark thin wand out of his bag. "Watch this!"

"Your not allowed to do magic yet!" exclaimed Lily worriedly.

"It's okay," replied Severus. "It's not like I'll go to Azkaban or anything!"

"What's Azkaban?" she asked curiously.

"It's the prison for wizards. It's guarded by dark creatures called dementors that suck your souls out." His eyes widened and he mimicked a dementor sucking souls. Lily shuddered.

Just then the compartment door opened and two boys came in. One was skinny and had messy dark brown hair and a cheeky smile. The other long dark hair and had a kind of casual elegance about him. They were talking to each other determinedly and Lily and Snape watched.

"So which house d'you think you're going in, James?" asked the boy with black hair.

"Gryffindor, where the brave dwell at heart. Just like my dad," said James. He puffed up his chest proudly.

"Well if you'd rather be brawny than brainy-" sneered Severus.

"Seeing as your neither?" interrupted James. His friend laughed loudly.

Lily was offended. Who did these boys think they were? "Come on Severus, let's find a different compartment," she said, grabbing his arm.

"Oooooo" called the black-haired boy mockingly after them. "See you around, Snivellus."

Lily felt a tinge of embarrassment as she left the compartment.

"Good riddance," said James lazily, taking advantage of the extra space to spread out his arms.

"I have a feeling we'll see more of Snivellus in Hogwarts," said Sirius. "His dad works with mine at the ministry. They're awful. But the girl wasn't that bad, I suppose." James shifted uncomfortably.

"I hope you're in Gryffindor," said James, changing the topic.

"But all of my family has been in Slytherin," said Sirius, looking melancholy.

"Cheer up! I'm sure you'll find a way to prove them wrong. Hey!- here comes the trolley!" Sure enough the trolley lady had appeared in the hall pushing a trolley covered with assorted wizard snacks and candy of all kind.

James quickly paid for two packs of Bertie Botts Beans, a chocolate frog, and several pumpkin pastries. He licked his lips. His mom had told him to not eat too much candy, but oh, what did it matter?

"Can I have a little?" asked Sirius hungrily.

"Sure" said James, dumping a pastry and several Berty Botts beans into his hand. Sirius mumbled "thanks" and wolfed them down quickly.

"Blimey! You looked starved!" said James.

"My parents never gave me any decent food," explained Sirius. He munched on a strange green looking jelly bean and spat it out. "Ugh! Mucus!"

"Yeah, those ones are quite common," laughed James.

He looked around the compartment, when a small skinny girl with glasses peered in. "Has anyone seen Remus Lupin?" she asked frantically. "Who?" said Sirius.

"He's missing from the train!" she shrieked. "We've searched everywhere!"

"Are you sure you've searched _everywhere_? There's got to be some places you've missed," pointed out James. The girl nodded nervously.

James got up. "Come on, Sirius. Let's look for him." They asked everyone in the surrounding compartments where he was, but no one had a clue. As Sirius was opening a compartment door, his rat Korkus suddenly jumped out of his hands.

"Hey- Korkus- GET BACK HERE!" Sirius shouted. Korkus darted underneath the seats one by one. They chased him farther and farther through the train. Finally Sirius grabbed him with his hands.

"Um… I don't think we should be here.." said James warily. They had walked into the compartment where the older Slytherin students usually stayed. The Slytherins stared at James and Sirius with hatred. An older boy with long blond hair and a smug expression asked calmly "What do you want?"

"We're looking for a boy named Remus Lupin," said Sirius.

"And why do you think we would care about some stupid little first-year," sneered the boy. "Get out!"

James and Sirius wasted no time in leaving.

"Perhaps we should leave this to the teachers," suggested Sirius, but James shook his head. "We haven't looked in there." The light of the full moon shined on the bathroom door.

"HELLO? Is Remus Lupin in here?" he knocked. There was an odd growling noise- James assumed it was the toilets- and then there came a muffled "yes". After a few minutes, a skinny boy with messy grayish hair stepped out.

"The whole train thought you were missing!" scolded Sirius.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," said Remus nervously.

"What on earth were you doing in there so long?" asked James. Remus opened his mouth but James cut him off. "Never mind- I don't want to know." They both laughed. James could tell Remus was shy, but he seemed nice enough.

Hours passed.

The train came to a halt. Finally! Thought James. Hogwarts is here. He peered out of the train but his vision was blocked. The students eagerly poured out of the train ahead of him. When he got down all he could say was "Wow." A great castle stood ahead of him with many turretts and pillars surrounding it. There was a moat surrounding the castle. The other first-years were too gazing with amazement. "First years, this way!" called a voice. It was a young witch with sharp features and brown hair. She led them to several boats. They got on the boats and started to cross the deep waters of the moat. A small mousy first year next to James shuddered.

"I heard there's a giant squid in the moat," he whimpered.

"Nah, they're just kidding," replied James confidently. But all the same he peered into the murky waters hoping to catch a sign of a tentacle.

The boats pulled up on shore. The brown haired lady led them into the castle. It was enormous. Hogwarts had a huge ceiling and massive stone walls. Brilliant banners of green and gold and red hung on the walls and the castle was decorated with various portraits of people that moved and talked. James struggled to keep up with the others as they climbed several moving staircases.

"It's really better than I thought," exclaimed Sirius wonderously.

The lady led the first years into a huge hall which was occupied with tables and lit with bright candles. The older students were already there, waiting.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall. Before our banquet begins, first we will have to get you sorted into different houses. You are to come up to the chair to try on the Sorting Hat when your name is called. Have a seat. Oh don't worry, you'll be fine," she added irritantly to the small mousy boy, who was shaking in his seat.

"So all you've got to do is try on a hat?" said James relieved. "I thought it was some kind of magic test in front of the whole school." James and Sirius abruptly sat down at a table James recognized as Gryffindor from the red and golden robes the people were wearing. He suddenly felt very self-conscious. Everyone eventually settled down and the hall became quiet.

An tall, old, battered up hat was placed on top of a stool at the front of the hall. To the shock of many it opened up through a rip in the bottom and a voice came out:

_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.  
You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.  
There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.  
You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
If you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;  
Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means  
To achieve their ends.  
So put me on! don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap! _

The students applauded, impressed. The Sorting Hat wasted no time however and it boomed

"Bones, Amelia"

Nervously, a girl stuttered to the seat. She placed the hat on her head. After a few seconds it shouted "RAVENCLAW!" She headed over to the Ravenclaw table, her face red, as the Ravenclaws clapped and shouted loudly.

"Black, Sirius"

"Go on," encouraged James, patting Sirius on the back. Sirius stepped up to the table, trying to look more confident than he was on the inside. The hat had barely touched his head when it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" James cheered with the other Gryffindors as Sirius ecstatically joined the table. Now he _really _badly wanted to get into Gryffindor.

"Barnacus, Dubblestone" "HUFFLEPUFF"

Amos Diggory was sorted into Hufflepuff,

Olivier Cotwalli became a Ravenclaw.

The Sorting Hat next called "Evans, Lily" Lily walked bravely up to the stool and put the hat on her head. "RAVEN-" the house shouted but stopped midway in its sentence. "GRYFFINDOR!" it shouted. Lily hurried over to the Gryffindor table.

"Diana, Leksan" became a Slytherin

Now any moment now…James trembled with anticipation. He watched as Remus Lupin got sorted into Gryffindor. Soon…

"Potter, James!" the hat called. James hurried up to the stool and placed the hat on his head. He heard a voice inside _Potter, eh? Gryffindor by the looks of it!_ Yes, he thought. Definitely Gryffindor. _You're not afraid to state your opinions either. Brave, very brave. But what's this? I sense ambition. And greed. You would do well in Slytherin. _No, James thought frantically. Anything but Slytherin. _Slytherin it is! _And the hat shouted it out loud to the whole school. But wait, did it actually say Slytherin? In his deep protests, James had missed which house the hat had called. He looked around and saw, with a shock, the Gryffindor house clapping their hands and cheering. He smiled and ran towards the Gryffindor table. People were patting him on the back and clapping.

Peter Pettigrew, the mousy boy, sat on the stool shaking with fear before the hat called him Gryffindor. Kingsley Shacklebolt became a Ravenclaw.

James watched as Snape walked up to the stool, almost sneering at the others, and placed the hat on his head. It shouted "Slytherin!" instantly. Snape tossed the hat away, and looking all too pleased with himself walked off. The hat narrowed its eyes, as if somehow it regretted its decision. James watched as Lucius Malfoy, a prefect, patted Snape on the back as if he had done something amazing. James nudged Sirius. "Look at him, thinking he's so great," he said with dislike.

McGonagall assumed her seat at the very front of the hall, there were several high seats for the teachers. A wise-looking man with sparkling blue eyes and a magnificent long beard stood up. He commanded utmost respect. James immediately recognized him as Albus Dumbledore! Dumbledore cleared his throat and spoke out loudly.

"Welcome, welcome…And so, another year begins at our wonderful school. Before the feast begins, I would like to introduce our staff." He looked towards a plump looking man with a walrus mustache and a belly that showed that he had eaten one too many crystallized pineapples. "This is Professor Slughorn, the Potions teacher." Slughorn rose up with difficulty. Next Dumbledore pointed to a scruffy looking woman with a broad jaw. "Professor Grubbly-Plank, who teaches Care of Magical Creatures. Professor Root who teaches Herbology-" a spiky haired Chinese woman on the right nodded her head "Professor Moody teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts" a tough-looking, scarred man looked up warily "Professor Flitwick who teaches Charms"- A tiny humble looking wizard popped up out of his chair eagerly "…and Professor McGonagall who teaches Transfiguration." The woman who had led the first years nodded curtly. "In addition, there will be Ogg, our gamekeeper and our caretaker Argus Filch. And now, it is almost time for you to experience the wonders of our beloved school. Even I do not know all of the secret passageways of Hogwarts- just yesterday I found a hidden tunnel in my own office. But for the sake of Mr. Filch's sanity, please do not wander off alone. And remember, help will always come to Hogwarts to those who ask for it. Thank you for listening patiently to- forgive me- this long and quite boring speech. And I do enjoy lemon drops." Dumbledore sat down. James could have sworn he gave a wink in his direction at his last line.

Platters of food suddenly materialized onto the table. Pumpkin juice…pudding…bread rolls…James mouth watered. He hadn't realized he was so hungry, but the stuff on the table was food beyond anything his mother could cook. As James stuffed a few treacle tarts into his mouth, he saw something he hadn't noticed before. It was a ghost. His dad had told him ghosts were at Hogwarts, yet he was still astonished. The ghost floated through the air and lingered on the Gryffindor table, sighing wistfully at the lavish desserts. He looked like a normal person, except strangely transparent. The first question on James' mind slipped out of his mouth "Are you dead?"

The ghost looked quite offended. "I most certainly am! Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington, and I am the ghost of Gryffindor. You may call me Nick."

Remus spoke up. "If I may ask-er- how did you die?" Again Sir Nick was taken aback. Instead of answering, however, he pulled his neck. It flopped over gruesomely. There you could see a deep gash. Remus looked horrified.

Eager to change the topic, James asked "But, Sir Nick. Can't you…eat?"

"Alas, no," mourned Nick. "It would just pass through my stomach."

After they had eaten their fill, the McGonagall directed the students towards their common room. James collapsed on the bed as soon as they reached the dormitories. It was very late. Sirius stretched on his bed and yawned.

"We have to wake up early, unfortunately. We've got classes," he said.

"Yeah, I guess," replied James. He rolled into the covers. "Night, Sirius."

"Night James."

He turned off the light. James was unpleasantly surprised to find that Sirius snored.

**I will update on 9/16.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hogwarts and its characters. JK Rowling does.**

**Chapter 4**

There was much excitement in the halls as the first-years got ready to go to their classes. They whispered to each other about the teachers and marveled over the magic they would learn. Being muggleborn, Lily felt slightly left out.

"We have Charms first thing in the morning- and I haven't even looked through my textbook!" exclaimed Alice. Lily had already covered hers completely, but she didn't want to say it out loud. She would be afraid she would sound sort of like a teacher's pet.

Professor Flitwick was a tiny, cheerful little man and was quite a good teacher. They were learning only basic charms this year, but it was exciting anyway. This time they were practicing "Wingaurdian Leviosa." which was supposed to make an object float. None of the students could manage to lift their feathers off the ground, but Lily did make hers flutter a little on the table. Professor Flitwick gave an excited squeal when he saw this, and promptly fell off his desk.

McGonagall's class was much tougher. Professor McGonagall, though relatively young, seemed very experienced and adept at her subject of Transfiguration. A sharp glare from her was all that was needed to keep the class silent. "You are not to fool around in this class," she lectured. She glanced particularily at James, who was hastily stuffing a paper plane into his pocket. "Transfiguration is an immensely complicated field of magic. I do not expect you all to be experts on this, but I do expect you to try your utmost best." She's not one to cross, thought Lily.

They worked on transfiguring matchsticks into nails for their first lesson. Again, Lily found herself doing better than most everyone else. While this did make her feel proud, she also felt quite self-conscious when McGonagall nodded curtly at her.

The Herbology teacher, Professor Root, kept a wild collection of plants in her classroom. She was kind of enough, but was extremely protective of her plants and insisted that they treat them as if they were pets.

Professor Binns was a ghost that thought history. He was extremely boring, and Lily quickly copied notes from his long boring stories before sleeping the rest of class. "He probably fell asleep teaching and died," whispered Lily to Alice.

Going from classroom to classroom was not so difficult. The moving staircases provided easy movement and the portrait passwords were easy to remember. However she did have the trouble of avoiding Peeves and Filch. Peeves was a poltergeist, sort of like a ghost. He was mischievous beyond irritating, and ran around yelling "Got your conk!" or knocking over childrens' textbooks gleefully. But Filch, the caretaker, was worse. His sole reason for living seemed to be punishing students who misbehaved or went where they were not supposed to go. Because of this, Lily was careful not to get lost in the corridors, even though she followed the rules.

The day was one of the best in Lily's life. Her old school was not even close to as interesting as Hogwarts.

...

"Password!" sang a large portrait of a knight on a horse.

"Cackling kneazles!" said James. The portrait door swung open. He walked into the classroom

and took the seat. They were having Potions with the Slytherins.

Professor Slughorn was a bald fat man with a magnificent mustache who wore expensive looking robes. "Blimey, he does look a bit like a walrus!" whispered Sirius jokingly.

"That's a good thing I suppose?" asked James. "At least he isn't like the other slimy Slytherins."

He cast a furtive look at Snape, whose face was buried in his book.

"Welcome, welcome to Potions class!" Slughorn boomed. "This class explores some of the most fascinating concepts of magic- potions. Potions may not be the center of attention like wand magic, but they are just as powerful. There are potions that can heal, cause love, transform people, and even poison …But we won't be learning any of that yet" he chuckled, coming back to a cheery tone. "Can anyone tell me what the stone taken from a goat that is an important ingredient in many antidotes?"

Lily Evans, the brown-haired girl from the train was the only person who raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss?"

"-Evans," replied Lily. "It's a bezoar."

"Very good" said Slughorn. "And does anyone know what potion shrivel figs are used for?"

Lily was once again the only one to raise her hand. James smirked.

"Yes Miss Evans"

"The Shrinking Solution, sir!"

"Correct!" boomed Slughorn. "Five points for Gryffindor." With an inquisitive smile he added "You must be very experienced for your age in magic, Miss Evans?"

"Not at all," Lily replied. "I'm muggleborn, you see."

"Oho!" exclaimed Slughorn. "I would never have thought." James didn't particularily like the way he said "Oho" however.

Slughorn gave them a set of ingredients to make a common antidote to cuts and burns. As they tried to make sense of their instruction booklets, he fluttered around the class.

"James Potter! I knew your father, great Quidditch player he was…" James nodded as Slughorn went on and on. He came around to Sirius too-

"It's a pity I couldn't have you in Slytherin as well as your parents, though they were a bit…strange to say the least" he gave an almighty laugh.

After harassing Diana Leksan, whose aunt worked at the Ministry, Slughorn assumed his position at the front of the room.

"Excuse me, sir?" said Snape, simpering up to Slughorn. "My mother always said you were the best teacher at Hogwarts."

"How kind of her," replied Slughorn without paying the slightest attention to him. James snorted. The embarrassment on Snape's face was hilarious.

….

The Gryffindors headed outside towards a large patch of grass. There lay several broomsticks on the ground. "We're doing flying lessons!" James exclaimed. The teacher, Madame Hooch walked to the front.

"Everyone choose a broomstick!" she ordered. They all arranged themselves in front of a broom. "Now put your hand over the broom and call "UP!"

"UP!" all the students shouted at once. James broom rose immediately to his hands; it was one of the few that did. Lily's broom simply wiggled across the ground and Peter's hadn't moved at all.

"Mount your broomsticks and then kick off the ground. All together now, here we go!" shouted Madame Hooch.

James kicked his broomstick into the air. He soared upwards elegantly and zoomed around. It was a thrilling feeling he would never forget, ever since his dad had bought him a toy broomstick at the age of three. However, most of his classmates were just struggling to get on their broomsticks. Sirius had gotten up briefly before spiraling down to the ground.

James briefly envisioned himself in Gryffindor robes, flying along with the team. It was possible, he thought.

...

"Where's Peter?" asked Sirius in the common room.

Remus' eyes widened. "He forgot the passwords into the tower. I saw him outside and just rushed by him… Oh no, he's going to get skinned alive by Filch." James cringed. Then he remembered something. "What about the dungbombs we left in Filch's closet?" he asked Sirius.

"Out of all times," moaned Lupin. "You choose now to put dungbombs! Filch is bound to blame him"

"And that was our fault. We've got to make this right James. We have to get Peter back in time!" said Sirius. James nodded guiltily.

"But how? We can't go sneaking around the corridors at night. If we're caught…" James looked around, desperate for an answer. His eye fell upon a poster of a broomstick. James smiled. He had an idea.

James and Sirius quietly sneaked around the back of the common room outside. James signaled to Sirius and he creeped into the shed and withdrew two broomsticks. He mounted one confidently, while Sirius climbed on top of the other.

"Let's go!" said James. He swerved off into the sky. Sirius struggled to keep up, his broomstick shaking behind him.

"Can you slow down?" he hissed. James and Sirius landed carefully on the other side of the castle.

"Now, quietly" James whispered. They crept through the entrance into the corridor where the portrait entrance was. He thought he could hear someone sobbing just upstairs. "C'mon!" Just then, he saw two yellow gleaming eyes staring up at him. It was Ms. Norris, Filch's black cat who would report anything back to him. Ms. Norris yelped and leapt away. James drew his wand but Sirius was quicker. He grabbed ahold of Ms. Norris's legs and crashed to the ground. He covered the cat's mouth before it could start squealing.

Just then they heard a voice shout "Which idiots put dungbombs in my office?! Filth! And who's making that crying noise?!" It was Filch. They heard footsteps starting upstairs.

"You stay here," panted James to Sirius, as Ms. Norris struggled. "I'll get the crybaby Peter." James sprinted around the spiral staircase, just escaping Filch. He found Peter on the ground, sobbing frantically. He looked up and opened his mouth but James cut him off

"Shhh-" he hissed. He then said "cackling kneazles" to The Fat Lady, who reluctantly opened up. James and Peter dashed in. He held the door open for Sirius, who had just dashed around the corner. "He's coming!" he shouted as they slammed the door shut and stepped into the Gryffindor common room. James could hear Filch shouting faintly "Students out at night!"

The common room was silent and asleep. "Thanks," Peter mumbled as he went off to sleep.

"No problem," replied Sirius. "Just next time, remember the passwords!"

But though both James and Sirius were slightly irritated at Peter, the next couple of weeks he followed them around like a puppy. There are some things that bring people together- and escaping an angry Filch is one of them.

...

Lily had thought she was ready for Defense Against the Dark Arts. After all she had been the best in all her other classes. But she couldn't be more wrong.

Their teacher, Mad-Eye Moody was a tough, wizened looking wizard with a sharp cut in his nose, and a magical eye that rolled seemingly by itself. Lily had the feeling he could see right through her.

"I heard Moody got into a fight with a troll and won" Alice had said in awe.

"Are you kidding?" replied Danny Gordon. "No troll would get _close_ to Mad-Eye."

Moody wasted no time in starting the class. As soon as he walked into the room he shouted "Pay attention!". The class immediately quieted. "I didn't come here to teach a bunch of horcruxes." His magical eye scanned across the room. "Mr. Potter, take that Fizzing Whizbee out of your mouth!" James gulped. "Now, we are here to learn how to defend ourselves against Dark Magic, not play games," he snarled. raised his hand reluctantly. "Yes?" asked Moody. "But sir," Remus said, "it's not exactly as if we're under attack, are we?" Moody sighed and sat down. "Now listen closely," he said slowly. "When I was your age, there was a boy who went to this very school. His name was Tom Riddle. He was a smart boy, and did not break rules. Yet there was something very wrong with him. Tom believed that muggles and other wizards were inferior to pureblood wizards. He was very interested in dark magic, Tom, and he used it to build an army of supporters. He fled Hogwarts, and now he's out there somewhere with his supporters, plotting to take over the school." Well that's an encouraging way to start the first day, thought Lily. Everyone was a little startled at Moody's seriousness, and a few chuckled nervously.

"But why haven't we heard anything about him, sir?" asked Remus Lupin finally.

"It's because the Ministry doesn't want to frighten the public."

"But that's wrong!" exclaimed Lily. "We have a right to know!" Lily suddenly realized how she was yelling and sat down, blushing. She had never seen herself so emotional and loud in class before.

"That's why, Ms. Evans, I came to teach you," replied Moody grimly.

The rest of the class went by rather quickly. Moody instructed them about different protective spells they would be learning and the curses they countered. But he focused less on the technical aspect of magic and more on controlling your fear in dangerous situations. He always wanted people to stay alert and have, in his words-

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Moody barked, as Lily was blanking out slightly. Lily immediately got to her senses. Even when class was about to end, Moody was not lenient one bit.

"Do you really think that man- Tom Riddle- is out there?" asked Lily to Alice as they exited class.

"I'm not sure," Alice said "But I definitely hope not."

...

The full moon shone brightly in the Gryffindor common room. James relaxed lazily on the couch as he peered at his Potions homework. "Ahh, this is a load of rubbish. Remus, do you know the answer to question 3?" He looked around. "Remus?" Remus was nowhere to be seen.

"Maybe he's in the bathroom again," joked Sirius.

"He can't be," said Peter. "I was just there."

"Then maybe he's in detention with McGonagall or someone."

"Remus? In detention," scoffed James. "You've got to be kidding me." Suddenly, a series of ghostly shrieks echoed outside.

"It's the shrieking shack," shuddered Peter. "People say it's haunted by ghosts every full moon."

Every full moon, mused James. Didn't they meet Remus during the full moon? There was something very suspicious about this. Very suspicious indeed.

**Thanks for reading the chapter! This story may not be extremely funny/beautiful but you can be assured that I will update every 1-2 days until the entire book is finished. Please give reviews, I love reviews! And also be sure to check out my other HP fanfiction that is in progress "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Oaf." Content is a little mature though.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter World.**

**Chapter 5:**

It was the first Quidditch game of the season and the whole school was in pandemonium. Students crowded the Great Hall whispering eagerly about the upcoming match-

"Who d'you reckon is gonna win?"

"Slytherin, of course!"

"But you never know! Gryffindor has got a new pair of chasers!"

Lily found herself quite confused and lost in all this talk.

"How exactly do you play Quidditch?" she asked Severus. It was her first time talking to Severus in a while. Because of their different houses, they were separated constantly.

"Well, you have three people who throw and catch a ball and try to throw them in hoops. They are called Chasers. And then other people try to knock them off with balls and then one person has to catch the snitch-" Severus paused at the look of puzzlement on Lily's face. "It's complicated. You'll see when it starts."

"Have you ever played Quidditch before?"

"No." Severus's face fell. "My family couldn't afford a proper broom."

"Oh. Well, I'll have to go on to the Gryffindor side now. Bye."

"And I'll be on the Slytherin side," said Severus dejectedly as he left.

Lily sat down amidst the cheering Gryffindors. Someone tapped her on the shoulder. It was Weatherby, a first year girl who was always nervous.

"I've got a message for you," she whispered.

"What was that?" asked Lily. She could barely hear over all the shouting.

"It's from Ogg. He says "Meet me at my hut after the Quidditch match."

James was watching the Quidditch match excitedly. The Slytherin and Gryffindor players walked onto the field with their brooms at their side, their robes blowing in the wind. None of them he recognized- they were all in 3rd year or above. Never had he heard of a 1st year on the Quidditch team. James imagined himself as one of these players- one of the chasers preferably, or maybe the seeker. His parents often let him fly a broom around the yard, and he was quite good at it.

The quidditch players leapt on to their brooms and rose into the air. The whistle blew. "And they're off!" shouted the commentator. It was Ludo Bagman, a burly sixth year boy who had a flair for theatrics. The Gryffindor team

The snitch hovered over the audience, but no one was watching. they were too busy watching the Slytherin chaser score goals.

"And there goes Puglee! He looks like he saw the snitch!" roared Bagman excitedly. James watched as Puglee, the Slytherin seeker dove towards the crowd, where the snitch was hovering. It darted out of his way. James had never seen the snitch so close to the crowd. It was practically in his reach now, flying right over his head…He could grab it now…no, he shouldn't…But it was so close…He reached out. One minute the snitch was spinning in the air, and the next minute it was in his hand. No one had noticed. But then Peter shrieked

"You have the Snitch! James has the Snitch!"

Everyone turned to look at him. James dropped the snitch, and it fluttered away. He was in big trouble now. They had all seen him. There was chaos in the crowd, people were all shouting, and pushing each other to see.

"James Potter, out of all people!"

"Remarkable, isn't it?"

"That's not fair. It's not in the rules!"  
"SILENCE!" bellowed Professor McGonagall. Everyone quieted down and turned to face her. "Mr. Potter certainly interfered with the game, but the audience has interrupted Quidditch games before. The rulebook clearly states that when the snitch is caught, the game ends. The snitch has been caught, so-" she paused, allowing herself a smile. "-therefore Gryffindor wins."

The Gryffindor crowd had already started cheering. They lifted James into the air. Sirius patted him on the back.

"Congratulations mate. You won us the game." James felt he didn't quite deserve all the applause. He had broken the rules and interfered with the game. But he shrugged it off. Might as well be proud when he had the opportunity. After all, he knew the Slytherin team would give him a tough time.

McGonagall was whispering to the Gryffindor keeper, Olivier Good. James caught a few phrases- "magical boundaries" and "restrain the snitch on field". But he also heard her say "James" a few times as well as "would make a good seeker."

There was still one question lingering at the back of James' mind. Why had the snitch come to him?

)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Lily travelled down the windy path towards Ogg's Hut. She passed the pumpkin fields and looked up. The sun was about to set. She better hurry, or otherwise she might be caught on the grounds at night. Lily knocked on the wooden door 3 times. A brief moment followed, and then Ogg opened up the door.

"Oh, hullo Lily. Why don't you come in and have some tea?" Lily came in and sat down at the table as Ogg poured her a mug of tea.

Lily sipped from the mug and involuntarily choked. The tea was burning hot and tasted like ashes.

"Got a cough?" asked Ogg.

"Yeah," she stammered, not wanting to insult Ogg's cooking.

Ogg sat down and asked

"So, how is school?"

"It's great."

"You haven't had any troubles adjusting to the school?"

"No, not really." Lily frowned. Was this all? Ogg relaxed and scratched his head.

"You must have _something_ else to say," offered Lily.

"Yes, yes." Ogg tensened. He leaned in.

"Can you keep a secret? I wanted to tell someone about it before- before I leave." His voice broke slightly, but then he regained himself. "You seemed trustworthy- more than any of the adults."

Lily nodded. She could keep a secret. If there was one thing she was good at, it was this.

"So, what is it?" she asked.

"Well, you already know that I have a job as a Gamekeeper." Lily nodded. "Many times, across my travels along the school grounds, I have met a variety of interesting creatures. Now, I have a particular liking for animals- especially dangerous ones- and I couldn't help but keep some of them as pets, you know."

"You kept them?!" broke off Lily incredulously. "Where?"  
"I've already released all of them into the wild. But the only things I have remaining are the eggs." Ogg stood up and opened one of the cupboards in the wall.

There were three sections in the cupboard, and an egg inside each. One egg was large, rough and speckled. Another was smaller and white, about the size of a mango and had pointy extrusions. The third was tiny, green, and slimy.

"The largest egg is a dragon's egg." He saw the look of horror on Lily's face and then added "But don't worry, it won't hatch soon. Dragon eggs take at least 20 years to hatch." Ogg pointed at the pointy egg. "This one belongs to a hipogriff. It will probably hatch in a year or two. The small egg is a clabbert. It's due to hatch any day now. We should be worried about that."

Lily had learned about all these creatures in her textbook, yet she doubted some of them existed. But here they were, right in front of her. But how had Ogg obtained the eggs?

"I keep them incubated with my wand. I magically set the heat of the cupboard." Lily wasn't really listening.

"Ogg," she said. "What if someone finds out?"

Ogg looked down. "Then I may lose my job, or even go to prison. These eggs are illegally obtained, after all. But I can't just let them go. That's why I need you to help me."

"Help you?"

"Help me protect the eggs and keep them safe. My assistant, Rubeus Hagrid will be arriving next year. You and him are the only others who know about the eggs."

"I'll try," said Lily. But she couldn't pretend it wasn't risky.

They shook hands.

**Are you guys are all excited for the holidays? Christmas is coming next chapter. (I wonder what all the non-Christians who are staying at Hogwarts do lol)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own HarryPotter**

**Authors Note: Seems this story is not popular, but I will keep updating**

**Chapter 6**

James woke up and yawned. He looked at his watch. It was 7:00. What was he doing up so early on a weekend? Then he remembered. It was Christmas!

He found Sirius snoring on his bed. "Wake up Sirius! It's Christmas!"

"What?" Sirius yawned.

"It's Christmas! Presents!" The word "presents" seemed to have jolted Sirius's mind, as he was already rummaging his bedside. James had given Sirius several packs of chocolate frogs and Bertie Botts jellybeans, Remus a book titled "Artemis Fowl", and to Peter he gave a quill (A bit worthless, he knew, but Peter's eyes still filled with joy when he saw it.)

James opened up his presents. He got a gold robe from his mom, several long history books from his grandparents, a game of exploding snap from Sirius, and a remembrall from Remus (to "help him with his homework assignments"). The only remaining present was from his dad- he had saved it for last. James unwrapped the cover and looked inside. There was a black, silky, cloak inside. Attached to it was a note-

_This cloak is a treasured family heirloom and has been passed down from generation to generation. Use it safely and wisely. Merry Christmas!_

_Love Dad_

James took the cloak and put it over his body. It was certainly a nice cloak, though he didn't see anything particularly special about it. Then he heard a scream behind him.

"James- your head is FLOATING IN THE AIR!" shrieked Peter.

"Blimey, James, where'd your body go?!" yelled Sirius.

"Calm down," soothed Remus, though he himself looked quite horrified. "It's probably just a temporary-invisibility spell or something."

James took off his cloak, amused at his friends' reactions.

"I was wrong, it's an invisibility cloak," said Remus in awe. "Those are really rare. Who gave it to you?"  
"My dad," replied James. He smiled mischievously. "I bet it'd come in useful plenty of times. I mean, just imagine, I could sneak into anywhere I want." There were plenty of places in Hogwarts filled with rewards- the kitchens for example. And it would be fun sneaking past Filch just to infuriate him.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" said Sirius, grinning.

"What I'm thinking is that you guys will be getting into a lot of trouble," pointed out Remus.

James gave Remus a withering look. "Well, I've got to go to my house in Godric's Hollow tomorrow. Are you guys going anywhere tomorrow for the holidays?"

Remus and Peter shook their heads but Sirius spoke up

"I'm going to my parents' house," he said dejectedly. "My mother's in a bit of a crisis. She wants to see all of the Black family at the reunion, but she hates me for 'tarnishing the family tree' by being selected into Gryffindor." He laughed. "My mother really is nasty. Well at least she sent me a present this time." Sirius pointed at a small envelope at the corner of his bed. "It's probably not a good idea to open it."

"Come on," encouraged James. "It can't be _that_ bad."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "You don't know my family. They'd rather adopt a frog than a blood-traitor." But he opened it anyway.

His fingers came out with a trail of brown sticky liquid.

"AAAAAAHHHH!" Sirius spluttered.

"Undiluted bubo tuber pus," commented Remus. "You should probably go to the hospital wing and see Madame Winkledinkle."

Sirius tried to get the pus out of his hands with no result. James couldn't help laughing, in spite of himself.

"Sorry," he murmured, as Sirius rushed off. Tomorrow he would be going to see his family, he thought. At least he didn't have parents like that.

...

James took the Hogwarts Express back. The train was much emptier and lonelier than last time, but the ride passed quickly. His dad was waiting for him at Kings Cross Station.

"Hey James!" he yelled. James dad was tall and plump. He could be very tough but once you got to know him, he was nice.

"Hi dad," replied James.

"How was school? Not bad, eh?"

"Not at all," replied James. James got in the car and his dad drove to Godric's Hollow, talking to him about school on the way there.

He arrived at Godric's Hollow that night. The Christmas lights were turned on in the neighborhood and the Christmas trees were decorated. As he walked past the cemetery, he could hear people singing. James' family was waiting outside for him.

His mother ran to him and hugged him.

"Oh James, I was so worried!" James struggled to get out of her grasp. His mother was always so worried.

"He's fine!" protested James father. "He's eleven years old, he can manage. Right, boy?"

"Right," agreed James.

"Why don't you come inside?" James' mother asked as she opened the door to let them in. "The whole family wants to see you."

James stepped inside the house. It was a small old house, but his mom had filled it with many modern features- such as a microwave that magically made the food taste different, and a washing machine that washed clothes in rainbow colors. James' mom knew how to use muggle machines properly unlike most witches and wizards, such as his dad.

They were all sitting at the table. There was James grandpa Alfred, a tall pink-faced man with white tufts of hair on his head- he was eagerly chatting to the others about his travels. Then there was his great aunt Aleksandra Trelawney, her gray hair tied tightly in a bun, and her purple eyes shining brightly. Also sitting were Bathilda Bagshot, his parents' friend and a magical historian, two girls who were his cousins but he barely knew- they attended a wizarding school in Canada, and their parents. On the left was the family that lived just a couple of houses away. The parents were muggles but their 5-year old son showed signs of magic.

"You must be starving!" said James' mum.

"Oh no, not at all," replied James. "There was plenty to eat at Hogwarts-"

"Oho, then you must have been stuffing yourself on pastries of course," said his mother shrewdly, cutting him off. "No dessert for you, young man!"

James sat down at the seat on the far right and they all greeted him loudly.

"Hi James!"

"Long time since I last saw you!"  
"How was Hogwarts?"

"I _do_ hope you had quite a marvelous time. It is a lovely school, frankly. Why, when I was a mere lad…"

"Now, don't get carried away Alfred," Bathilda laughed. James smiled. He knew Alfred was always itching to tell some strange story or another. As James sipped his soup he heard someone whisper

"Thirteen people at a table, hmm…Mysterious…The first to get up will be the first to die…but it's just a saying …heheh," It was the voice of his great-aunt Aleksandra. She stared at him understandingly and he looked away. People said she could see the future, and he half-believed it.

They ate their dinner heartily while everyone took turns cheering "Merry Christmas!" James eyes were closing. Whether it was because of too much food, travel, or sickness he did not know but all he wanted to do was lie down.

In a few minutes, Alfred left the table ("I'm on a tight schedule, got to get back, sorry" he said) and the rest all got up. James immediately rushed up to his room, flopped on the bed and fell asleep.

The next morning James woke up with a start. He had heard a metallic banging noise coming from downstairs.

"Don't worry, I just dropped the cast iron pot" shouted his mom.

James sighed and walked into his room.

There was already someone sitting there. It was his Great-Aunt Aleksandra. She was smiling as she knitted a scarf with her yarn as she rocked on a chair. She was holding a black candle in her hand. It illuminated the scarf and created shadowy figures.

"Um…sorry," he said, not wanting to disturb her.

"Come, boy" she beckoned. James walked over next to her.

"What do you see?

James stared into the shadow on the scarf. It was glowing strangely. It resembled a deformed man- no a wolf-it shifted again

"Well?" Aleksandra questioned.

"I see…um…a pig," he lied.

"Hmmm…" she said. "Looks more like a werewolf…your future is dangerous, James. If only you could open your mind a little." And with that, she picked up her stuff, and left the room.

**:)**


End file.
